• Football
  • Boxing
  • UFC
  • Home
  • Football
    • England
    • Transfer News
    • Premier League
    • Champions League
    • Lionel Messi
    • Cristiano Ronaldo
    • EA FC 25
    • Wrexham
  • Boxing
    • Tyson Fury
    • Anthony Joshua
    • Oleksandr Usyk
    • Mike Tyson
    • Jake Paul
    • Logan Paul
  • UFC
    • Dana White
    • Conor McGregor
    • Khabib Nurmagomedov
    • Jon Jones
    • Paddy Pimblett
    • Joe Rogan
  • Other Sport
    • Athletics
    • Formula 1
    • MMA
    • Motorsport
    • NBA
    • Darts
    • NFL
    • Snooker
    • Wrestling
    • Tennis
    • Cricket
    • Golf
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • UNILAD
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube
Europa League Win Over Manchester United Was 'Revenge' Against Sir Alex Ferguson, Says Francis Coquelin

Home> Football

Updated 16:04 26 Apr 2022 GMT+1Published 16:00 26 Apr 2022 GMT+1

Europa League Win Over Manchester United Was 'Revenge' Against Sir Alex Ferguson, Says Francis Coquelin

"I was looking for him, he must have seen me.”

Jack Kenmare

Jack Kenmare

Francis Coquelin says he enjoyed "a bit of revenge" over Sir Alex Ferguson when his Villarreal side beat Manchester United in last season's Europa League final.

The 30-year-old midfielder, who made 160 appearances for Arsenal during a 10 year spell in North London, helped the Yellow Submarine to their first European trophy in May following a dramatic penalty shoot-out that finished 11-10.

Coquelin himself struck arguably the best of those penalties when he knocked one into the top corner, despite co-commentator Robbie Savage's prediction that he would miss.

Image credit: Alamy
Image credit: Alamy

Advert

Since the La Liga side triumphed in Gdansk, Coquelin has revealed that comments made in Sir Alex Ferguson's autobiography gave him extra motivation that night.

Ferguson, who was sitting in the stands for the Europa League final, would write the following in his autobiography: “Arsenal played a young boy in midfield; Francis Coquelin. He was completely out of his depth. I had hardly heard of him, and he barely played again."

The former United manager was speaking about the time his United side thumped Arsenal side 8-2 in 2011 – a game for which the 20-year-old midfielder Coquelin was rushed into Arsene Wenger's first-team.

Image credit: Alamy
Image credit: Alamy

Advert

Coquelin, who was speaking ahead of Villarreal's Champions League semi-final clash against Liverpool, said lifting the Europa League trophy in front of Ferguson was "nice" following those comments.

“It was a bit of revenge, because when I made my Arsenal debut we lost 8-2 at Old Trafford and Sir Alex Ferguson criticised me a bit in his biography, so it was a nice little turnaround to win the Europa League against them,” Coquelin told RMC Sport.

“Plus I think he was in the stands as well, so lifting the trophy in front of him was nice. I was looking for him, he must have seen me.”

Image credit: Alamy
Image credit: Alamy

Advert

The former Arsenal midfielder says Villarreal come into tomorrow night's semi-final clash against the "best team in Europe" with confidence after knocking out Bayern Munich and Juventus.

“Liverpool are probably the team that press best," he told The Guardian. "I can’t really see where their weaknesses are. They attack so well and now they have [Ibrahima] Konate competing with [Joel] Matip. The left-back and the right-back are like strikers basically.

"They have two players who fight for Ballon d’Or, [Mohamed] Salah and [Sadio] Mane. Now they’ve signed Luis Diaz and he settles in like he has been there five years. They’re the best team in Europe but, as a footballer, what do you want? To play this sort of game, travel around Europe.

"We have a dream in the back of our heads to play a Champions League final. We know it’s tough but the whole team, the whole town, is excited. It’s difficult but we’ve got confidence: we knocked out Bayern Munich and Juventus and we’re going there to compete. We’re not going there just to look at Anfield."

Featured Image Credit: Alamy

Topics: Manchester United, Villarreal, Europa League, Sir Alex Ferguson, Champions League

Jack Kenmare
Jack Kenmare

Jack is a Senior Journalist who enjoys a long read. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of Football Manager wonderkids from 2005 to the present day, and has interviewed a handful of FM's finest, including Freddy Adu, Supat Rungratsamee and Mika Aaritalo.

X

@jackkenmare_

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

5 hours ago
8 hours ago
9 hours ago
10 hours ago
  • 5 hours ago

    FIFA has banned five football kits for life that you'll never see again

    Club World Cup finalists Chelsea and PSG have been hit by FIFA’s ban on sleeve advertising rule

    Football
  • 8 hours ago

    Xabi Alonso has found the next Florian Wirtz for Real Madrid without spending anything

    The new Real Madrid boss may have uncovered a gem in the squad who could be the next Florian Wirtz.

    Football
  • 9 hours ago

    Chelsea set their asking price for Nicolas Jackson as shock club register interest and it looks like a typo

    Enzo Maresca has named his price to sell Nicolas Jackson this summer, amid links to a European giant.

    Football
  • 10 hours ago

    Rodrygo has already told Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea which club he wants to play for next season

    The Brazilian star has been linked with a move away from Real Madrid this summer.

    Football
  • Sir Alex Ferguson ripped into former Man Utd star for what he allowed Cristiano Ronaldo to do
  • Man Utd legend Sir Alex Ferguson refused to speak to the BBC for SEVEN years in bitter dispute over his son
  • Sir Alex Ferguson left 'furious' by 'careless' piece of commentary by Martin Tyler as full story revealed
  • Steven Gerrard revealed the eight-word question he wants to ask Sir Alex Ferguson after claiming Liverpool legend isn't a 'top, top player